One of the poignant moments that captured the success of the inaugural year of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) Youth Panel came at the end of Thursday’s graduation ceremony.
The 18-year-old Abdulla al-Hor, one of the 35 graduates of the Class of 2015, hardly batted an eyelid while answering the question that www.sc.qa put before him – should there be a broadcast programming clash involving matches of the two club teams he supported, Al Sadd and Liverpool, which game would he choose?
“Al Sadd of course,” the response was fired in. Such is Abdulla’s passion and commitment towards local football that the five-time European champions stood no chance.
The youngster’s commitment towards the local football club symbolises his connect with the larger community.  
An initiative of the Community Engagement department of the SC aimed at giving a voice to the youth of Qatar in the delivery and legacy planning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, the Youth Panel is indeed destined to be a resounding success in the hands of Abdulla and many more such committed youngsters.
In the years leading to 2022, the Youth Panel members and alumni will help enhance awareness of the social and human legacy oriented programmes being delivered by the SC as part of its preparations towards hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first ever tournament in the Middle East and the second in Asia.
In the case of Abdulla, a first year communications student at Northwestern University, the desire to make a difference for his country lies in the field in which he hopes to be a professional in the future – the media.
“I am an aspiring filmmaker and am interested in the wider media scene. The unique access I have enjoyed as a Youth Panel member has enabled me to find out that the reporting in the western media about Qatar is one dimensional and far from accurate. I would like to work with local communities and tell their stories to wider regional and global audiences.”
Vivien Fakhoury – a 17-year-old Lebanese-German who has lived in Qatar since 2006 – foresees a bigger role for herself as a youth ambassador in the land of her birth – four-time World Cup winners Germany. “There has been a negative perception in Germany about Qatar because of western media reporting. I would like to spread the word among the youth there that Qatar is not what they have read about.
"The Youth Panel experience was a huge eye opener for me in this regard – I was able to learn a lot about the country by visiting local communities and talking to decision makers. I hope to encourage the youth in Germany to come and visit Qatar in person and find out for themselves about this wonderful country,” she said.
Vivien — an eleventh grade student at the Middle East International School who hopes to specialise in politics and international relations — is a die-hard fan of Mario Gotze, who scored the winner for Germany in the final of the 2014 World Cup. She is excited at the thought of Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup. “I will definitely be here before the tournament and throughout the event,” she said.
Tehreem Raza, 18, also envisages a youth ambassadorial role whether she is based in Doha – where she has lived for the last 11 years – or India, the country of her birth. The aspiring management professional, currently a student at the Park House English School, says the biggest benefit of the Youth Panel was that it helped to get her out of her comfort zone for the first time.
“The last year has been a great journey of fun-filled discovery and I will cherish it. I have been making productive use of my experiences by talking about them to friends in Qatar.
"And when I visit India on vacation there is a great deal of interest about Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup and me being part of it. Like many Indians I support Brazil and if I am not in Qatar in 2022, I will definitely come back to watch the Selecao hopefully adding to their silverware. I am sure many of my Indian friends will be here as well.”
Despite being a Real Madrid supporter and a die-hard Cristiano Ronaldo fan, Tehreem’s standout moment was the meeting the Youth Panel members had with Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi. “He is such a legend and yet so humble. For a brief while I forgot that I was a Real fan,” she signed off with a smile. www.sc.qa